Paul Thompson, chief coach for women and lightweights for British Rowing,
shares his tips on how to row like a champion

Born in Australia, Paul Thompson, 47, rowed for his country for the junior and under-23 teams before becoming a coach in 1988. He joined the British Rowing coaching team in 2001 and was the lead coach for women at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He has worked with the Olympic silver medallist and five times world champion Katherine Grainger for 11 years and has been the British Rowing chief coach for women and lightweights since 2004. In 2007 Thompson was named International Rowing Federation Coach of the Year. He lives with his wife in west London.

The feeling when you’re out on the river in the morning, the sun’s coming up and the boat is humming along underneath you – that is unbeatable.

Rowing is an all-body workout; it’s the single best exercise you can do. If you’re an amateur you should keep a training diary so you can keep track of your progress. About half an hour on an ergo [an indoor rowing machine] is a good amount of time to start off with. Set a rate and see how far you can go in that time. Then each subsequent time try to get the split down a little bit.

A lot of the action in rowing comes from the hips. You need to be flexible through the hamstrings and at the hip flexors so you don’t have to hinge through the back. You also need abdominal work to make sure you’re strong enough to stay in that position.

Join a local rowing club so you can get out on the water. Britain has a really vibrant rowing community, which is wonderful. It is important to have a coach to move you on technically. You can work on your fitness on your own but when you’re in a boat you’ve also got to work on efficiency and how you move in the boat. Amateurs often put the blades in before they push with the legs, which is a mistake. They also often push with their backs too soon, rather than get the most out of the leg drive. Drive with the legs rather than open with the back.

There are some interesting dynamics in the women’s team that happen along the way because they have to compete against each other at first and then, once the boat is selected, have to come together to take on the rest of the world. The key is honesty. If you just paper over the cracks everything will explode later on.

I really enjoy working with motivated people who have a clear goal. You’re trying to get people to do things that they’re not always sure are possible, so you have to explore their limits and that is very exciting. If you are faced with a giant staircase, then concentrate on just climbing one step at a time.

When it’s raining and everyone is tired and sore and its 3C outside, motivation in the team can be low. But as a coach it’s about working on today’s goal, which can be small, like working on only one particular stroke.

I’ve had lots of wonderful moments as a coach, particularly working with Katherine through her ups and downs. I couldn’t pick out one in particular. Reflecting on your past is something you do when you retire; I’ve always got my eye on the future.